Remember Me
by DreamboundGal
Summary: Hogarth had made friends since Giant had left. He had his guy friends, and he had his parents. Then came Cindi. Nearly everything changed and took a turn. Hogarth's friends hated her. But Hogarth teaches them that having a friend that's a girl isn't bad.
1. Soldier Cindi

_**Chapter One**_

The hot summer sun beat down upon Patch Haven, the small, delightful town that I've lived in all my life. I remember when I was itty-bitty, I would go to sleep every night to the stars above, make dandelion bracelets for me and my baby sister (before she grew up to the fun-loving five-year-old she is today), and drinking sweet lemonade straight from the jar.

I heard the screen door open suddenly, nearly making me drop my camera that I held in my hands.

"Hey, sis! Wanna make some cookies?" Georgia, my little sister, asked, smiling real wide, the gap between her two front teeth showing, making her look even cuter.

I laughed.

"I will after lunch, Geo, I'm about to take some nature photos," I told her.

She put on _the _most _pitiful _face I've ever seen; her lip jutted out and began to wiggle as her brown eyes just got bigger.

I giggled, putting one of my hands over my mouth, then said,

"I can't right now, Geo. I'm sorry! But maybe after lunch and we can eat the dough, too!"

"Fine," she pouted, going back inside, the screen door creaking shut behind her.

Now was the time. I needed to escape. The bad guys were coming soon, and they were vicious.

I bolted off the front porch in one big jump, and then ran for at least five minutes straight, dodging the tree stumps and branches along the way.

I lunged over the creek and kept running, the camera still in both of my hands.

Finally reaching the edge of the woods, I stopped, panting, leaning over, and breathing heavily.

I did it.

For the first time in my life, I'd ventured out of my town and into the city.

I looked up in amazement at what I saw.

There were houses _everywhere_, not _just_ in one little area.

There were restaurants of all sorts along with stores.

And best of all, there were more people to meet.

I wondered if there were any kids my age.

I took my camera and snapped a shot of the horizon, the sun giving the picture a lovely but bright glare in the corner.

There was a railroad track down below the hill I was standing on.

_I bet I could jump that_, I thought, rushing down the hill before coming up to the tracks and nearly tripping over them when I leaped.

But I made it.

I looked back at the tracks I had jumped, and smiled wide before turning back and walking off towards the town.

It was at least an hour and a half until noon, and no one had bothered to ask who I was or where I came from.

I was tired of walking around town, so I wandered around a bit more until I come to this school with a huge playground.

I sat on the swing-set alone, with no one around at all.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, there was someone watching me from the play tower that had a slide on two sides.

When I looked to see who it was, they just ducked down as if avoiding me.

"Hello?" I said aloud, not knowing if I was just seeing things.

I heard a muffled voice, so I got off the swing and looked up the slide.

Nothing.

The voice was a bit clearer, but I had no idea what it was saying until I was halfway up the slide.

"Target is approaching! Ready your weapons, soldiers!"

It sounded like a kid my age instead of the killer I thought it would be.

I had reached the top of the slide, and as I climbed out, I noticed two red converse sneakers right by my hands that had just reached the platform.

I looked up to see a kid (who looked about my age, which was nine) dressed in denim jeans and a white, tucked in shirt with a brown belt. His messy, brown hair framed most of his face, but not all of it. His bright blue eyes stared back at me, and then turned mean.

"INTRUDER!" he shouted at me, holding his plastic water gun down to my forehead, "REVEAL YOURSELF!"

I hesitated.

I hated water guns.

I always thought that if they were black they'd turn out to be real guns and they'd shoot me in the heart.

"I…" I stuttered, "I'm Cindi! I mean no harm!"

He gave me a suspicious look, and then reached out his hand, holding the gun in the other.

"Welcome to war, Soldier Cindi!" he said in the 'manliest' voice he could, trying to sound serious and give a dead-pan look.

I took his hand and let him help me up.

He let go and ducked down once more, looking around, speaking in a serious tone.

"Soldier Cindi, you're a lucky one. You've survived the zombies. But not all can do what you did…"

I tried not to giggle, even if he and I both knew this was just a game.

A sudden voice broke the silence that had followed the boy's sentence.

"Hey! Hogarth! What're ya doin' all the way up there? We've been lookin' all over for you!"

It was a _group_ of _boys _that were standing at the foot of the slide.

Great.

"Hey," the same voice said slowly, "What's a girl doing in our headquarters?"

"Intruder!" shouted one.

"Spy!" called another.

I covered my face with one of my hands, shaking my head, the camera still in my grasp of the other hand; even if I had forgotten I still had it with me.

"LET'S GET HER!"

Oh _NO_.

I ran down the steps that were behind me and sprinted as fast as my legs could move.

"COME ON, YOU GUYS!"

They were nearly right on my heels.

I pushed myself to go faster until I came upon the front of the school and I hid behind the statue, crouching down so they wouldn't see me.

They stopped about a few yards away.

"Hey, where'd she go?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe she ran home she was so scared!"

"Yeah! She's probably crying to her parents telling her 'monsters' were after her!"

They all laughed.

My face turned beet red and I could feel my anger rising.

I wanted to step out from behind the statue with all my guts, but I knew if I did I'd be dead out there. And as much as I hate boys like that, I had to face them. Right here, right now.

I stood up, seeing if they would notice.

Not _one_ of them looked my way.

I moved a strand of my wheat-blond hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

I put my hands on my hips as soon as I stepped out into the open.

I cleared my throat.

"A-he-he-he-hem…"

They all turned my direction with shocked expressions.

"Lookin' for somebody?" I asked in a sharp tone.

"IT'S HER!"

"THERE SHE IS!"

"LET'S GET HER!"

I mustered up every ounce of courage I could get and put on my meanest, most deathly stare as they came walking towards me slowly, but at a fair pace.

They reached the place where I was standing and the 'leader' gave me one of the most pathetic 'supposed-to-be-mean' looks I've ever seen.

"So, girly, what were you doin' with my pal Hogarth?" he questioned me in one of the most _childish _voices _ever_.

"I, much to your disbelief, wasn't doing anything. I was on the swing-set by myself, and he happened to be there." I told the kid.

"Yeah, uh-huh, sure," he rolled his eyes, which made me mad, "Of course…"

"Fine. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself!"

"ALRIGHT, I WILL!" he shouted back at me, turning to the kid that he called Hogarth who had just caught up with the group of boys.

"What exactly was she doing, Hogarth? And tell the truth!" the kid snapped at the boy with the auburn-brown hair and blue eyes that had called me "Soldier Cindi".

"Yeah, tell the truth!" repeated one.

"Well, um…" Hogarth hesitated a little, and then said, "She kinda found me when I was hiding by the slide…" He fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"What do you mean she 'found you'?" the leader questioned Hogarth with a mean tone.

"Well, she was on the swing-set, and I guess she knew that I was hiding, so, she found me…"

He sounded as if he was a little three-year-old getting yelled at by the parent for something he didn't do.

The leader of the pack sighed, shaking his low-hung head, his eyes closed. Then he opened them.

"Let's go, Hogarth. Let's leave the girl to play her little princess game." He said, starting to walk away.

Hogarth just stood there, staring, as if in disbelief, at the kid who had begun to walk away from the scene.

The kid stopped and turned to him.

"Let's go, Hogarth…" his voice was low and creepy.

Hogarth gave me one last glance before looking ahead and starting to walk after the group of boys.

I shook my head, annoyed.

"Y'know, Hogarth…" I said to him, and he turned to me, staring, "You're just like them. You pick a fight, you battle, but when it gets out of hand, you can't even defend yourself."

He was silent.

The guys snickered, and I heard one whisper,

"He's getting told off by a girl!"

More snickers.

Hogarth's face began to turn pink, and he gave me an angry glare.

"Yeah," he muttered, "Well I happen to have more witty comebacks than you can even think of."

"Yeah? Well, even if I don't have that many comebacks like you _guessed_, which was _wrong_, I actually have the guts to _SAY THEM_."

He became silent, his face bright red now.

"Yeah? Well—"

"Well what? Have somethin' to say?"

"Yes, I d—"

"Well then say it!"

He shook his head at me, giving me a dirty look before turning away and walking.

"C'mon, guys, let's go…"

He sounded really upset.

Shoot.

I _had_ to open my _big mouth_.

"Yeah?" I hollered to him as he continued walking, his hands deep into his jean pockets, "Well, forget you!"

He stopped walking, shook his shoulders a little, and then continued onward.

I rolled my eyes, turned, and walked the other direction, hoping _never_ to see that kid Hogarth _again, _that way I couldn't hurt his feelings any more than I did today.


	2. It's Fine

_**Chapter Two**_

My stomach churned around in its emptiness. I had forgotten to eat lunch when I got home I was so upset.

Georgia came running into my room with a sugar cookie in her hand, smiling. But she stopped smiling once she saw me lying pathetically on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong, sis?" she asked sadly, giving me her most pleading look she could make.

I mumbled, "Some kid got picked on because of me, then we got into a fight, and I'm _pretty _sure I hurt his feelings."

"Aww," said Georgia, looking as if she were about to cry, her eyes growing bigger every two minutes.

"I know…" I muttered.

Georgia looked down at the cookie she held in her hand, and then reached it out to me, saying, "Wanna cookie?" She forced a smile.

I shook my head, "No thank you…My stomach hurts too badly."

"Oh," she sounded disappointed, "But…I made the cookies myself…"

"Alright, fine," I took the cookie from her and took a bite.

I was grateful to have a little sister that cared.

"It's good," I said, swallowing the humongous bite I had taken out of the sugar cookie.

It wasn't just good.

It was one of the best things she's ever given me when I'm upset.

"You're welcome!" she smiled a proud smile.

I smiled a small one back at her before she swirled around and left the room, shouting downstairs to Dad, "DADDY! SHE LIKES THE COOKIE!"

I chuckled at the cuteness she showed every single day.

I heard her tiny feet go _tump tump tump_ down the stairs.

I continued what I had been doing before Georgia had come into my room: stare helplessly at the ceiling, thinking over what had happened earlier today with that kid named Hogarth.

After about ten minutes of lying there, I had the sudden urge to go back to that town, and I don't know why, but I wanted to apologize to that kid. I mean, I most likely ended up hurting his feelings.

Lazily, I rolled myself out of bed, rubbing my eyes since they hurt from staring at the ceiling for so long.

I stood up and walked out of my room, down the stairs, and out the front door, shouting to my dad,

"I'm goin' out!"

"Be back by dinner!" he hollered back.

"I will!" I yelled, almost to the line where the trees began to show up.

At least six-to-eight minutes later, I reached the railroad tracks like I had twenty minutes ago.

I just walked over them this time, too lazy to jump.

As I was just entering the town, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, so I looked to my right.

It was that kid, Hogarth, riding his bike.

I watched him ride down the hill and a few seconds later park his bike in front of the Diner.

I rushed after him, as fast and stealthily as I could be.

I saw him go inside, and so I followed him in.

But once I got inside, I regretted it.

It was _full _of people.

They were _everywhere_!

I looked around for a bright, white shirt, jeans and red sneakers, but no luck. I even tried to look above standing people's heads for messy brown hair. Still no luck.

After a while of looking for the kid, I finally realized he was sitting at a corner table alone.

I made my way over to the table, but didn't sit down yet.

He didn't look up from the table top he was staring at.

"May I sit with you?" I asked kindly.

He looked up without moving his head, and gave me a dirty look.

"What do you want?" he said between clenched teeth.

"I want to talk to you," I replied.

"Why would someone like you talk to someone like me?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I need to, and also 'cause I want to. Is that a problem?"

He sat there for a moment in silence, staring at me with the same look on his face.

I stood there, hesitation taking over.

"Fine. Sit if you want." He finally said a bitter tone.

I pulled the chair out a little and took a seat.

"Look, I'm getting straight to the point," I spoke in a serious tone, "I'm sorry about what I had said to you earlier. I didn't mean it, but sometimes I just get really mad. I can be a hot-head sometimes, but it's been that way since my mom left. So, just a recap, I'm sorry about what I said. Will you accept my apology?"

I looked him straight in the eye as I talked to him.

"Please?" I almost begged, but I didn't because that would make me seem weak.

He sat silently, that same, mean look plastered onto his face before turning soft.

"It's fine…I get talked down to a lot, so I should be used to it,"

"I didn't mean to talk down to you, I just—" I was interrupted.

"I said it's fine," he said back in a half-sharp tone.

"No, really, it's not. I shouldn't have said what I did."

He sighed.

"Look, Cindi, it's not that I don't like people talking to me like that, it's just that since you're a girl, it…kind of embarrasses me…"

"Well, I can't help the fact that I'm a girl with an attitude. But I will try my hardest to be nice to you."

He was still staring at me, so I forced a smile without making it look like it was forced.

He didn't smile back until I threatened him,

"If you don't give me a smile, even if it's small, I'll reach my foot over there and kick you…" I was still smiling.

"All right, fine, a small one," he replied quickly, not wanting to be kicked by a girl in a public restaurant.

He smiled, his mouth closed shut.

At least it showed we were okay.

"So," I said slowly, "Are we good? We're okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled, "But I don't want to be seen with a girl around my friends…"

He paused.

"No offense."

"None taken."

"Okay, good."

"So, what're you gonna do, since you don't want me to be around you when you're with your friends?"

"I don't know, maybe we could…"

"Be secret friends?"

"Yeah! That'd be good."

"So…how should we work out the 'secret friends' thing?"

"Hmm…"

Another pause.

"How about every night, except maybe tonight if my mom says no, we could go to each other's houses? And I'll tell my friends I'm meeting up with someone?"

"That could work! So, let's go ask your mom!"

"I'll go get her, she's right over there!"

Hogarth got up from the table and strode over to a woman with auburn-brown hair and had on a bright pink-and-white waitress uniform.

"Hey, Mom!" I heard him say, "Can my friend come over?"

"Which friend, honey?"

"Cindi?"

"I don't mind, but we have to make sure it's alright with her parents, Hogarth."

I got up from the table and walked over to them, speaking to his mom,

"It is, but I have to be home by six."

"Alright, Hogarth. But no running off."

"Thanks Mom!" Hogarth hugged his mom's waist before turning to me and saying, "Come on! Let's go!"

We left the Diner, him on his bike, and me on foot.

I'm glad he was going my slow, steady pace. That way we could talk.


End file.
